Ingot



M. K. MORRIS Oct. 27, 1964 INGOT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 27. 1962FIG-4 INVENTOR. MELVIN K. MORRIS ATTORNEY Filed Sept 27, 1962 M. K.MORRIS 3,154,391

mco'r 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MELV/N K. MORRIS ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1964MORRls 3,154,391

INGOT Filed Sept. 27, 1962 1 Q E E E /3 g 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HM W W a -5INVENTOR.

MELVIN K. MORRIS BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,391 INGGT MelvinK. Morris, New Martinsville, W. Va, assignor to Ormet Corporation, acorporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 27, 1%2, Ser. No. 226,676 4 Claims.(Ci. 29-184) This invention relates to ingots and more particularly tocast ingots provided with interlocking means for engagement with similaringots adapting them for assembly in a stable stack.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide ingots ofnovel construction adapting them for assembly into a stable stack orbundle.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ingot with novelinterlocking means for interlocking engagement with like means providedon similar and adjacent ingots.

A further object of this invention is to provide interlocking similaringots which upon assembly provide a rigid layer resistant againstlongitudinal and lateral movements.

A still further object of this invention is to provide ingots adapted tobe secured together in interlocked engagement to provide a stable layerof ingots as a platform for succeeding ingot layers.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following description and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plane view illustrating an ingot in accordance with thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of one side of the ingot illustrated inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view illustrating the opposite side of theingot of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational end view of the ingot shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines VV of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of an assembled stack comprised ofthe ingot shown in the preceding figures.

The ingot 1 illustrated in the drawings is characterized as a cast baror pig 2 of metal, such as aluminum and the like, generally ofquadrilateral cross-section and having slanted or oblique side walls 3and 4 intermediate the upper surface 5 and lower surface 6. Each of sidewalls 3 and 4 has laterally projecting therefrom, adjacent the lowersurface 6, a pair of flanges or berms 7 and 8, respectively, one havinga configuration complementary of the other. Each of the berms will havetheir surfaces complementary to the other and may be generally describedas bowed relative to the upper and lower bar surfaces, with the upperberm surfaces 9 and 10 further characterized by being angled, generallyacute, relative to the bar side walls to thus define compound angletherewith.

In the embodiment illustrated, the upper berm surface 9, of berm 7, issubstantially planar and symmetrically slanted downwardly toward thelower bar surface 6 from a high point 11 relative to the upper barsurface 5 at the mid-point or center 12 of berm 7. In addition, the bermsurface 9 is slanted downwardly from its lateral edge toward the barside wall 3. Although the upper surface 9 of berm 7 has been illustratedas of angled configuration, it is to be understood that otherconfigurations may also be employed as for example an archedconfiguration provided that a complementary configuration i-s defined bythe upper surface ill of berm 8.

With regard to the particular embodiment illustrated, the upper surfaceill of berm 8 is provided with a conice figuration complementary to theupper surface 9 of berm 7. As shown in the drawings, the upper surface10 of berm 8 is substantially planar and symmetrically slanted upwardlytoward the upper bar surface 5 from a low point 14 at the mid-point 15of berm 8, with the upper berm surface it further defining an angle withthe bar side wall 4 identical to the above angle 13. Accordingly, theupper surface ll of berm 3 also defines a compound tangle wtih the barside wall 4. As indicated above the upper surface 10 of berm 8 may takeother configurations than the specific angle embodiment illustrated inFIGURE 3, as for example an arched configuration provided that it iscomplementary to the configuration defined by upper surface 9 of berm 7.

This construction in a plurality of ingots adapts each of the ingots forinterlocking engagement with similar ingots disposed in side-by-siderelationship in the same layer of a stack with, as illustrated in FIGURE6, the berm 8 of an ingot 1 meshing with a complementary berm 7 of aconfiguration corresponding to berm '7 provided on an adjacent ingot 1'whereby the complementary configurations of adjacent ingots enablestheir assembly together in a nesting relationship. The bowedconfiguration of the upper berm surfaces when meshed with complementarysurfaces of adjacent ingots results in an arrangement which is resistantto longitudinal displacement of the ingots while, in conjunction, thecom- .pound angles defined by the upper berm surfaces and the side wallsof the adjacent ingots provides an arrangement resistant against lateraldisplacement of the ingots. As a result, a layer of ingots when disposedin interlocked engagement with one another provides a very stable andfirm platform for supporting succeeding layers of ingots disposedthereon. As illustrated in FIG- URE 6, each succeeding layer of ingotsis generally disposed at right angles to the preceding layer. Whensufiicient layers of the bars have been assembled to the desired stackheight, the assembly may then be secured together by appropriate andconventional banding for handling and transport.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments, materials and details, various modifications and changes,within the scope of this invention, will be apparent to one skilled inthe art, and are contemplated to be embraced within the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An ingot adapted to form part of a stack comprising an elongated castbar of quadrilateral crosssection with a pair of opposed substantiallyflat parallel upper and lower surfaces, a lateral berm projecting fromeach of the side walls of said bar and coextending with each otherlongitudinally along a pair of adjacent lateral edges of said bar, oneof said berms having an upper berm surface symmetrically bowed upwardlytoward said upper bar surface to a high point relative to said upper barsurface at the mid-point of said berm with said upper berm surfacefurther defining an acute angle with its adjacent corresponding sidewall of said bar whereby said upper berm surface forms a compound anglewith said side wall, and the other of said berms having an upper bermsurface symmetrically bowed downwardly toward said lower bar surface toa low point relative to said upper bar surface at the mid-point of saidother berm with the last said upper berm surface defining said acuteangle with its adjacent corresponding side wall of said bar with thelast said berm being adapted for interlocking engagement with a bermcorresponding to the first said berm of an adjacent inverted similar bardisposed in side-by-side relationship therewith in the same layer ofsaid stack.

2. A stack of ingots comprised of layers of ingots with each of saidlayers having a plurality of alternately inverted similar ingotsdisposed in side-by-side relationship with adjacent ingots ininterlocked engagement with one another, each of said ingots comprisingan elongated cast bar of quadrilateral cross-section having a pair ofsubstantially flat parallel upper and lower surfaces, a lateral bermprojecting from each of the side walls of said bar and coextending witheach other longitudinally along a pair of adjacent lateral edges of saidbar defining the lower surface thereof, one of said berms having anupper surface symmetrically bowed upwardly toward said upper bar surfaceto a high point relative to said upper bar surface at the mid-point ofsaid berm with said upper berm surface further defining an acute anglewith its adjacent corresponding side Wall of said bar whereby said upperberm surface forms a compound angle with said side wall, and the otherof said berms having an upper berm surface symmetrically boweddownwardly toward said lower bar surface to a low point relative to saidupper bar surface at the mid-point of said other berm with the last saidupper berm surface defining said acute angle with its adjacentcorresponding side wall of said bar with the last said berm beingdisposed in interlocked relationship with a berm corresponding to thefirst said berm on an adjacent inverted similar bar disposed inside-by-side relationship in said layer of said stack.

3. An ingot adapted to form part of a stack comprising an elongated castbar of quadrilateral cross-section with a pair of substantially flatparallel upper and lower surfaces, a lateral berm projecting from eachof a pair of side walls of said bar and coextending with each otheralong a pair of adjacent lateral edges of said bar, one of said bermshaving an upper substantially planar berm surface symmetrically slanteddownwardly toward said lower bar surface from a high point relative tosaid upper bar surface at a mid-point of said berm with said upper bermsurface defining an acute angle with its adjacent corresponding sidewall of said bar whereby said one berm forms a compound angle with saidside wall, and the other of said berms having an upper substantiallyplanar berm surface symmetrically slanted upwardly toward said upper barsurface from a low point relative to said upper bar surface at themid-point of said other berm with the last said upper berm surfacedefining said acute angle with its adjacent corresponding side wall ofsaid bar with the last said berm being adapted for interlockingengagement with a berm corresponding to the first said berm on anadjacent inverted similar bar disposed in side-byside relationship inthe same layer of said stack.

4. A stack of billets comprised of layers of ingots with each of saidlayers having a plurality of alternately inverted similar ingotsdisposed in side-by-side relationship with adjacent ingots ininterlocked engagement with one another, each of said ingots comprisingan elongated cast bar of quadrilateral cross-section having a pair ofsubstantially flat parallel upper and lower surfaces, a lateral bermprojecting from each of a pair of side Walls of said bar andcoex-tending with each other longitudinally along a pair of adjacentlateral edges of said bar, one of said berms having an uppersubstantially planar berm surface symmetrically slanted down- Wardlytoward said lower bar surface from a high point relative to said upperbar surface at the mid-point of said berm with said upper berm surfacedefining an acute angle with its adjacent corresponding side wall ofsaid bar whereby said one berm forms a compound angle with said sideWall, and the other of said berms having an upper substantially planarberm surface symmetrically slanted upwardly toward said upper barsurface from a low point relative to said upper bar surface at themidpoint of said other berm with the last said upper berm surfacedefining said acute angle with its adjacent corresponding side wall ofsaid bar with the last said berm being nested in interlocked engagementwith a berm corresponding to the first said berm on an adjacent invertedsimilar bar disposed in side-by-side relationship in the same layer ofsaid stack.

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 6, 1960

2. A STACK OF INGOTS COMPRISED OF LAYERS OF INGOTS WITH EACH OF SAID LAYERS HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALTERNATELY INVERTED SIMILAR INGOTS DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP WITH ADJACENT INGOTS IN INTERLOCKED ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID INGOTS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CAST BAR OF QUADRILATERAL CROSS-SECTION HAVING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PARALLEL UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES, A LATERAL BERM PROJECTING FROM EACH OF THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID BAR AND COEXTENDING WITH EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY ALONG A PAIR OF ADJACENT LATERAL EDGES OF SAID BAR DEFINING THE LOWER SURFACE THEREOF, ONE OF SAID BERMS HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE SYMMETRICALLY BOWED UPWARDLY TOWARD SAID UPPER BAR SURFACE AT THE MID-POINT OF SAID BERM WITH SAID UPPER BERM SURFACE FURTHER DEFINING AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH ITS ADJACENT CORRESPONDING SIDE WALL OF SAID BAR WHEREBY SAID UPPER BERM SURFACE FORMS A COMPOUND ANGLE WITH SAID SIDE WALL, AND THE OTHER OF SAID BERMS HAVING AN UPPER BERM SURFACE SYMMETRICALLY BOWED DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID LOWER BAR SURFACE TO A LOW POINT RELATIVE TO SAID UPPER BAR SURFACE AT THE MID-POINT OF SAID OTHER BERM WITH THE LAST SAID UPPER BERM SURFACE DEFINING SAID ACUTE ANGLE WITH ITS ADJACENT CORRESPONDING SIDE WALL OF SAID BAR WITH THE LAST SAID BERM BEING DISPOSED IN INTERLOCKED RELATIONSHIP WITH A BERM CORRESPONDING TO THE FIRST BERM ON AN ADJACENT INVERTED SIMILAR BAR DISPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP IN SAID LAYER OF SAID STACK. 